Re:There’s no such thing as a tree (phylogenetically)
by dsr_ on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @07:49AM
(#29636858)
Rare but often important.
We all work with computers all the time, and so we have a tendency to try to represent the universe in the simplest abstractions that capture the necessary detail for the project we are currently contemplating. When those abstractions fail to capture a necessary detail, it can be due to:
- a bad abstraction in the first place
- a new use for the representation that we hadn't thought about
- insufficient understanding of what we are trying to represent
I have seen all three of these situations repeatedly. They are all quite common.
We all work with computers all the time, and so we have a tendency to try to represent the universe in the simplest abstractions that capture the necessary detail for the project we are currently contemplating. When those abstractions fail to capture a necessary detail, it can be due to:
- a bad abstraction in the first place
- a new use for the representation that we hadn't thought about
- insufficient understanding of what we are trying to represent
I have seen all three of these situations repeatedly. They are all quite common.